Backroom Baz: When Labor already owes $200bn, what’s an extra few hundred on shovels?
Backroom Baz: Have you got a $200bn debt? Follow the Labor example and spend a few hundred dollars on shovels to try and dig your way out of it.
Victoria
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Optics are everything when it comes to a government press conference, so Baz wonders whose bright idea it was to get five brand-spanking new designer shovels for ministers and politicians to use at a soil-turning for a new social housing development in Noble Park.
Optics are everything when it comes to a government press conference, so Baz wonders whose bright idea it was to get five brand-spanking new designer shovels for ministers and politicians to use at a soil-turning for a new social housing development in Noble Park.
Before the announcement began, Housing and Building Minister Harriet Shing, Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams, Mulgrave MP Eden Foster, and recently demoted federal cabinet member for Isaacs Mark Dreyfus joked about the spade-turning tradition and happily posed with the shiny new ashwood stainless steel shovels.
A quick Google search by one of Baz’s spies revealed that these beauties retail for more than $100 each.
Baz is all for an awkward photo but shelling out hundreds of dollars on brand new shovels for a photo op is probably not a good look for a government on track to run up a $200 billion debt bill and without meeting its social housing targets.
Albo living on Fiji time
Members of the Fijian Parliament returned to Spring St this week, less than 18 months since their last visit. This time, to explore parliamentary oversight and accountability mechanisms.
Not that they would have got much of that during the session of the budget estimates hearing they endured.
Baz’s spies were in the room at the same time and said rather than oversight, transparency and scrutiny being on show, the Fijians would treated to a display of childlike barbs being thrown around by committee members with one overheard complaining “it’s not fair, chair”. Diddums.
The Fijian delegation also met with the parliament’s Integrity and Oversight Committee, as well as briefings on the work of the Victorian Auditor-General and Parliamentary Budget Office.
Baz’s annual scorecard reveal
With the annual Public Accounts and Estimates Committee budget probe over – thank goodness – its time to dish out the annual scorecard. Strong marks for Labor chair Sarah Connolly who scored an A- for keeping the rowdy Opposition committee members in check and being able to pronounce Greens MP Aiv Puglielli’s surname.
She lost marks for an unashamed Labor bias, however.
Energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio scored a B+, because while not usually a cut through performer her ability to answer without looking at her notes and her strong messaging on energy made for a strong mark. Marked down for the waffle, however.
New committee members Jade Benham, from the Nationals, and the Liberal Party’s Richard Welch made strong starts, a solid B for both, probably let down by rumours that shadow ministers were a little slow in sending through material this year.
Special mention to Welch for nailing the treasury on debt and revealing no modelling had been done on a credit downgrade.
It was a strong F for road safety minister Melissa Horne though who, shockingly, forgot that speed was a major pillar of the state’s road safety action plan. The TAC has only been telling us that speed kills since 1994. Come on, minister.
And the standout performer? It has to go to Suburban Rail Loop minister Harriet Shing, and not just for smiling while she defended the project against almost $200bn of projected debt. No, Shing – who has obviously learnt from movies like Clueless that point out “grades are just a jumping off point to start negotiations” – has heavily lobbied sources close to Baz for favourable results, desperate to get an A+. Close minister, an A. Maybe next year.
New judge not a fan of journalists? We’ll see...
Judicial appointments don’t happen too often, so Baz was surprised to see the appointment of the County Court’s first female chief judge fly under the radar last month.
Amanda Chambers was picked to lead the court after a storeyed judicial career spanning almost two decades as a magistrate, Country Court judge and President of the Children’s Court.
It was her work in that role Baz finds most interesting. Those with long memories will remember it was Judge Chambers, while head of the kids’ court, who threatened that journalists could face large fines or jailtime if they dared identify victims of crime who wanted to tell their stories.
This was in 2017 when crime, like now, was front and centre of the public consciousness. Baz hopes the Chief has loosened up a little since.
Albo and Dan chew the fat
He doesn’t pop up often anymore – cue sighs of relief from those still suffering Covid PTSD – so it was a little surprising to see Daniel Andrews dining out on Russel St this week.
Baz says only a little surprising because if Dan is going to dine somewhere, there’s a good chance its going to be at restaurant scene stalwart Gimlet.
He was spotted there in the dying days of his premiership with wife Cath, and again for a family meal after his resignation in 2023.
Baz’s spies were quick to spot the former big man dining with current big man, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, with drinks freely flowing as the pair caught up over several hours, their security details keeping their eyes peeled for the eagle-eyed insiders who might steal a glimpse, or a snap, of the political figures.
Baz thought Albo might have been thanking Dan for all his help in the lead up to last month’s election – Andrews was recruited to help with debate prep and other campaign necessities. But after Albo escaped through side door, Dan was left to pick up the bill. How’s that for thanks?
Originally published as Backroom Baz: When Labor already owes $200bn, what’s an extra few hundred on shovels?
‘Didn’t deserve this’: Mum’s plea after son attacked in school ‘pack fight’
The parents of a vulnerable year 7 student are calling for urgent reforms to address schoolyard violence, after their son was assaulted in a fight at Bass Coast College’s San Remo campus.
Motorbikes travelling in bus lanes? Riders say let’s go!
Victoria’s peak motorcycle body is backing moves for motorbikes to have access to bus lanes, saying the move would improve safety and reduce congestion.